I'm five sessions into DMing my first campaign, and the suspicious nature and malign intent of the player characters makes it so wonderfully easy to create more story hooks.

I figured out the larger story of the setting a few weeks ago (it's in the Forgotten Realms, and some cool lore-based shit is going to happen), but for now the party is mostly caught up in intrigue with a group of anonymous ne'er-do-wells in this small village. They misdirected and beat up guards to seize control of one of the two guard towers in town, just for the chance to spy on what some of them have chosen to treat as nemeses

I am working on a campaign based entirely on bad art, but - and this is the important thing - doing it without being silly.

Care to elaborate?

when I am more awake.

Righto.

Dungeon's in a painting. You have to steal the painting for it to work, and then the PCs get hornswaggled into releasing this really nice lady who steps out of the painting and "shuts" it behind them, so they have to find another way out. Meanwhile, she's up to no good in the city.

The lady is homely, of course, as any good looking woman in a dungeon will be immediately nuked, as anyone who has ever played the game knows.

But first, gonna start them off tomorrow at 1st level, on a rescue mission. Some kids get kidnapped, and the PCs go to rescue them as mercs. The boss of the kidnapping ring is a "painted creation" jerk from the painting (using the the painted creation template from the old U1 Galleries of Evil over a 2nd level warrior thug), who has been sent there by another lady from the painting demiplane.

I decided the ladies are all sisters, there are 9 of them, and they all have a mythic tier, just to make them obnoxious. It won't be obvious, but each of them reflects one of the nine alignments.

The one the PCs release, and will eventually get around to fighting at level 9 or so is this monstrosity:

Tactics Before Combat Sophia turns invisible to gauge her enemies and prepare a death attack.During Combat Sophia will alternate between the above and moving in with her runner's shirt and conducting a whirlwind attack.Morale If Sophia is brought below 30 HPs, she will escape and plot her vengeance.

Special Abilities/ItemsDeath's Pinky Finger This dagger is a +3 dagger of venom that is always considered poisoned. It's default poison is greenblood oil, but the user can reset it as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to any poison that the wielder has ever failed a saving throw against. (note: Sophia has poisoned herself with every poison in the core rule book, and will use the poison that best suits the moment.)

(Note: Sophia's CR reflects her mythic status, her stat line, and her wealth)

That's a rogue that goes invisible, whirlwinds (no sneak attack while whirlwinding, but you can't have it all), with a blade that's always poisoned for con damage. Then she goes invisible again. Also, check out the disguise ability. She's good enough to impersonate the PCs best friends (or the PCs, ho ho ho) while she goes about her nefarious deeds. And then she impersonates the cleric when they go to get healed.

Anyway, while they're stuck in the painting, they have to deal with dadaist barbarians (confusion ability like the old umber hulk, on account of, well, dadaist appearance), homicidal critics, etc. And some of the other sisters.

And anyone who gets killed in the painting gets their soul stuck in the Chamber of Unverified Teapots until someone comes and breaks them out.

So far, I've got the material done for about levels 1-5 on the medium track. I expect this campaign to go to about level 15.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

1st session over. They chased down the kidnapped girls, dealt with the thugs that kidnapped her (including the painted creation, who went down like a damn punk), and then stole the painting from an archmage's house. They even remarked on how suspiciously easy the theft was.

Then they went in and let the woman go, and she obligingly trapped them in the maze. Left off there.

Now it's custom monster theater. Not one single critter is taken from books unchanged, and most of them are unique builds. Among other things, I am using the Red Tape Dude from Little Orange.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

I'm five sessions into DMing my first campaign, and the suspicious nature and malign intent of the player characters makes it so wonderfully easy to create more story hooks.

I figured out the larger story of the setting a few weeks ago (it's in the Forgotten Realms, and some cool lore-based shit is going to happen), but for now the party is mostly caught up in intrigue with a group of anonymous ne'er-do-wells in this small village. They misdirected and beat up guards to seize control of one of the two guard towers in town, just for the chance to spy on what some of them have chosen to treat as nemeses

Attacking the town guard, eh? If you can't use that like Junkenstien uses a crowbar, hang it up.

They are obviously desperadoes and now outlaws. They should start seeing wanted posters of themselves soon. Bounty hunters are a thing.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

I'm five sessions into DMing my first campaign, and the suspicious nature and malign intent of the player characters makes it so wonderfully easy to create more story hooks.

I figured out the larger story of the setting a few weeks ago (it's in the Forgotten Realms, and some cool lore-based shit is going to happen), but for now the party is mostly caught up in intrigue with a group of anonymous ne'er-do-wells in this small village. They misdirected and beat up guards to seize control of one of the two guard towers in town, just for the chance to spy on what some of them have chosen to treat as nemeses

Attacking the town guard, eh? If you can't use that like Junkenstien uses a crowbar, hang it up.

They are obviously desperadoes and now outlaws. They should start seeing wanted posters of themselves soon. Bounty hunters are a thing.

Also worth mentioning that the guard could have been a valued asset to a local crime syndicate or guild, also family ties or perhaps lover now UPSET, or the only good factor holding someone or something from taking more bold actions.

Killing cops is just bad.

Logged

You can't get out backward. You have to go forward to go back.. better press on! - Willie Wonka, PBUH

Life can be seen as a game with no reset button, no extra lives, and if the power goes out there is no restarting. If that's all you see life as you are not long for this world, and never will get it.

"Ayn Rand never swung a hammer in her life and had serious dominance issues" - The Fountainhead

"World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation." - Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

I'm five sessions into DMing my first campaign, and the suspicious nature and malign intent of the player characters makes it so wonderfully easy to create more story hooks.

I figured out the larger story of the setting a few weeks ago (it's in the Forgotten Realms, and some cool lore-based shit is going to happen), but for now the party is mostly caught up in intrigue with a group of anonymous ne'er-do-wells in this small village. They misdirected and beat up guards to seize control of one of the two guard towers in town, just for the chance to spy on what some of them have chosen to treat as nemeses

Attacking the town guard, eh? If you can't use that like Junkenstien uses a crowbar, hang it up.

They are obviously desperadoes and now outlaws. They should start seeing wanted posters of themselves soon. Bounty hunters are a thing.

There were these guys in suits, who introduced themselves by the name of their pattern of choice (Argyle, Paisley, and Gingham), lying and cajoling the party into doing their bidding--but consistently paying. The party's half-orc monk (he's a conflicted dude) got pissed at being duped and ran to confront them alone. He's going to wake up in a pine box. Another party member, a gnomish drug dealer, tried to out the "suits" to one of the guards after beating the guard within an inch of his life. An arrow from elsewhere finished the job, and now there's an investigation underway.

Mostly the suits have been using them for a harassment campaign that culminated in an assassination of someone who left their ranks. That's the only reason the suits were in the town in the first place. Now they are gone, their suits left behind and anonymity fully restored, and the party has been paid with a strange bauble containing a very old map of Faerűn. With it will come the first inklings of the main arc. Differences in the map vs. the present-day landscape will lead the players to certain artifacts from the lost Empire of Netheril, and meddling in forces they don't understand may draw the attention of Netheril's ancient enemies, the phaerimm.

Also worth mentioning that the guard could have been a valued asset to a local crime syndicate or guild, also family ties or perhaps lover now UPSET, or the only good factor holding someone or something from taking more bold actions.

Killing cops is just bad.

Good ideas. This town is small, mostly human, and suspicious of outsiders. The players will find it even less hospitable than before, and may finally be run out after this next minor arc (missing townsfolk and a plea for help from the mayor) is resolved.

Tactics Before Combat Opens combat with minor confusion.During Combat Uses forbiddance to try to get environmental hazards (falling, etc) to injure or kill characters (while lecturing them about safe practices), using his bite and claws only in extremis or if he thinks his victims may escape.Morale Will flee or surrender (if retreat is impossible) if brought below 10 HP.

Special AbilitiesCling (Ex): Red Tape Dude can climb upside down as easily as vertically. He only has to have 3 limbs free to climb, and 2 limbs free to maintain a position on a wall or ceiling. He does not become flat-footed while climbing.

Red tape dude looks like a human wrapped in red cloth tape, with limbs distorted like a lizard. He is obsessed with eliminating unsafe practices, even if this means killing the people he is trying to "protect". While not actually evil, he just doesn't value lives over regulations. In this case, he is bothered by ladder safety, and will cause the rungs to retract above and below the first person climbing down from room 28 to 27 in the mansion. He keeps to the walls and ceilings to avoid attacks by unruly creatures, and forbids them from doing anything unsafe (especially to him).

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.